Health benefits of pawpaw

Refreshingly sweet in taste, pawpaw or papayas are bright, pear-shaped, exotic fruits that you’ll easily find in the market throughout the year. Enclosing hundreds of black, rounded gelatinous seeds, the soft, edible orange flesh of papayas is actually nutritious, offering numerous health benefits. Here’s why you need to include these ‘fruits of angels’ in your diet.

Lowers cholesterol: Papayas are rich in fibre, Vitamin C and antioxidants that prevent cholesterol build up in your arteries. Too much cholesterol can block the arteries completely, causing a heart attack. Papaya extracts have also found to reduce lipid and triglycerides in diabetic rats.

Helps weight loss: One medium sized papaya contains just 120 calories. So, if you’re planning to lose weight, don’t forget to add this light fruit to your diet. Besides, it also packed with a considerable amount of dietary fibre that aids weight loss by promoting a feeling of fullness.

Boosts your immunity: Your immune system acts as a shield against various infections that can make you really sick. A single papaya can fulfil more than 200 per cent of your daily requirement of Vitamin C, making it great to build a stronger immune system.

Protects against arthritis: Arthritis can be a really debilitating disease and people who have it may find their quality of life reduced significantly.

Eating papayas are good for your bones as they have anti-inflammatory properties along with Vitamin C which helps in keeping various forms of arthritis at bay. A study published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases showed that people who consumed foods low in Vitamin C were three times more likely to have arthritis than those who didn’t.

Helps ease menstrual pain: Women who experience menstrual pain should help themselves to several servings of papaya, as an enzyme called papain helps in regulating and easing flow during menstrual periods.

Promotes hair growth: Apart from keeping the skin healthy, papayas are very effective for maintaining healthy hair. Vitamin A in them is utilised in production of sebum, a compound that is crucial for keeping the hair smooth, shiny and moisturised.

External application of papaya extract to the scalp can help you get rid of dandruff. The nutrients present in them help hair loss. They boost hair growth and strengthening. Although there is no scientific evidence, papayas are also thought to prevent hair thinning.